Last updated: October 2026
By Jack Lv, General Manager — 925 sterling silver and GRA moissanite manufacturing in Foshan since 2011
If you want the piece to be read as precious, 925 sterling silver is the answer, because it is 92.5 percent silver and it takes rhodium plating well. If you are buying to an opening price point, brass with plating is the cheapest path and depends entirely on plating quality, and if you want a low-maintenance, minimal product with no plating to fail, stainless steel is the choice.
925 sterling silver contains 92.5 percent silver with the balance usually copper, which is what gives it working strength; brass and stainless steel contain no silver at all. That difference decides the price story, whether the piece can be hallmarked, and how it behaves once plated.
925 sterling silver means the alloy contains 92.5 percent silver, with the balance usually copper. That 7.5 percent is not a shortcut, it is what gives the metal working strength; fine silver is softer and deforms too easily for mass-produced jewellery. Sterling silver is about 2.5 on the Mohs scale, which is low, so a silver piece intended for daily wear relies on plating for its scratch and tarnish resistance.
Brass contains no silver at all. It is a copper and zinc alloy, and when it is sold as silver plated or gold plated, the plating is not an upgrade to the product, it is the product. Once the coating wears through at a high-contact point, the yellow base metal is visible and the piece is finished cosmetically.
Stainless steel is an iron alloy with chromium and usually nickel, and it contains no silver either. It is chosen for a bright white metal colour without plating, higher scratch resistance and no tarnish, at the cost of weight, a colder look than silver, and less flexibility in finishing and sizing.
| Base material | Silver content | Plating needed for a white finish | Nickel-release consideration | Market positioning | Order profile that fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 925 sterling silver | 92.5 percent silver, balance mainly copper | Yes, rhodium plating for daily wear | Base metal itself is silver; check plating, solders and findings | Precious metal, hallmarkable, gift and bridal | Repeat branded collections at mid and upper price points |
| Brass with plating | None, it is a copper and zinc alloy | Always; the plating is the finish | Risk sits in the plating layer and any nickel in the alloy | Fashion and volume, replaced rather than repaired | Opening price points and fast trend lines |
| Stainless steel | None | Not normally needed for a white finish | Nickel is common in the alloy, so the exact grade and its report matter | Functional, unisex, minimal, everyday carry | Large low-maintenance programmes and men's ranges |
Rhodium is a platinum-group metal, so it is the expensive part of a white finish, and plating life depends on thickness, wear points and how the customer treats the piece. Thickness is a specification you write, not a quality you assume.
Rhodium is a platinum-group metal, which is why it is used for a bright white, tarnish-resistant surface on silver. Plating life depends on thickness, the wear points of the design and how the customer treats the piece, so thickness is a specification you should ask for in writing rather than assume from a marketing phrase.
On brass, the same logic applies with no precious metal underneath to fall back on. On stainless steel, the finish is inherent to the material, which removes one whole category of complaint but does not remove the nickel question in the alloy.
The commercial conclusion is uncomfortable but useful: with silver and brass, a proportion of your after-sales cost is plating wear, and it is a cost you should price into the product rather than discover in month nine.
Nickel release is regulated in the European Union under REACH, and buyers in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Saudi markets increasingly ask for evidence before listing. Contamination rarely comes from the base metal alone; it comes from the plating bath and the processes around it.
Nickel release is regulated in the European Union under REACH, and buyers in the US, Canada, Australia, UK and Saudi markets increasingly ask for evidence before listing. Contamination rarely comes from the base metal alone; it comes from the plating bath, the solder, the spring in a clasp or the post on an earring. That is why a report on the finished article is worth more than a statement about the alloy.
The practical defence is documentation attached to the actual goods. Nabest holds a REACH SVHC report, BKC25020516BR, issued by Shenzhen BKC Testing on 2025-02-27, covering 247 SVHC substances below 0.1 percent, and a RoHS and CE certificate, HYC2025120053RV1, issued by Shenzhen HyCert on 2025-12-31 for its 27 listed models. Factory conditions are covered by an Intertek audit certificate, 483553466_T, valid from 2025-12-31 to 2026-12-30.
One caution for buyers: no factory should promise that every alloy is nickel free in every market. Stainless steel grades differ in nickel content, and plated brass depends on its coating. Ask for the report that matches the grade and the plated finish you are actually ordering, and keep it with the shipment file.
Buyers rarely choose the metal on technical grounds alone; they choose it to signal a tier. Silver carries a precious-metal story and can be hallmarked, which justifies gift packaging and a higher retail price, while brass with plating carries a fashion story.
Buyers rarely choose the metal for technical reasons alone; they choose it to signal a tier. Silver carries a precious-metal story, can be hallmarked, and justifies gift packaging and a higher retail price. Brass with plating carries a fashion story and supports opening price points and quick trend cycles where the customer expects to replace the piece.
Stainless steel sits outside both narratives. It sells on durability, minimal design and a low-maintenance claim, which is why it works well in unisex and men's ranges, travel and everyday-carry products, and markets where customers dislike polishing silver.
Mixing metals in one catalogue is normal, but the label must follow the metal. A silver-plated brass piece described loosely as silver is the single most avoidable source of returns in this category.
Rarely from the metal itself: they come from plating wear at contact points, sizing and fit, tarnish during storage, skin reactions in nickel-sensitive customers and description mismatches. Each of those has a different prevention.
Returns are rarely about the metal itself. They come from plating wear at contact points, sizing and fit, tarnish during storage, adverse skin reactions in nickel-sensitive customers, and description mismatches where the customer expected one material and received another.
Grouping them makes the fix obvious: specify plating, describe the material precisely, and give care and storage guidance instead of implying that the product is maintenance free.
| Where it goes wrong | Base metals affected | Practical prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Plating wears through on edges and contact points | 925 silver, plated brass | Fix plating specification in writing and choose designs that protect high-wear edges |
| Skin reaction in nickel-sensitive customers | Plated brass, stainless steel, plated findings | Supply the test report for the grade and finish actually ordered, not a generic one |
| Tarnish in storage or between wears | 925 silver, brass | Plated finish, airtight packaging and simple care instructions in the box |
| Customer expected a different material | All three | Name the base metal and the plating on the listing, the label and the invoice |
| Stone or fitting problems blamed on the metal | All three | Four-stage quality gates from incoming material to pre-shipment inspection |
The question is less about volume than about what happens after the sale. A repeat branded collection with packaging and a gift story wants 925 silver with documented plating, while a fashion line that turns over quickly can use plated brass.
The volume question is less about how many units and more about what happens after the sale.
Nabest is a Foshan factory with a 3,000 square metre plant, a monthly capacity of 15,000 pieces and a team of more than 300, working in 925 sterling silver and VVS moissanite, with custom work starting at 10 pieces per design (30 for multi-stone settings) and tier pricing of 3 percent off at 50 pieces and 6 percent off at 100 pieces. Sampling takes 5 to 7 days and bulk production 15 to 20 days, and quotations are returned within 24 hours Monday to Saturday.
The silver itself is 92.5 percent silver with the balance usually copper, so the base is not where the risk normally sits. Reactions usually trace back to the plating layer, solder joints, clasps or earring posts. Ask for a REACH SVHC report covering the finished article.
Often, yes. Nickel is a common component of stainless alloys, and grades differ in how much nickel they release in wear testing. Buyers usually specify a grade that performs better on nickel release, but the reliable proof is a test report for the grade actually used, not a general claim.
No. Brass contains no silver, so the correct description is silver-plated brass or brass with rhodium plating. Accurate material naming on the listing and label prevents most of the returns and chargeback exposure in entry-level ranges.
925 silver with rhodium plating is the usual answer where the piece needs to read as precious, provided the customer is given basic care guidance. Stainless steel is the better answer if you want no plating to fail and the customer accepts a less precious look. Brass is the weakest choice for daily wear because the plating is the whole finish.
Silver can tarnish when the plated surface wears or when the piece is stored exposed to air and humidity. Rhodium plating, airtight packaging and simple care instructions reduce the risk, and the four-stage inspection routine at the factory is where surface and plating faults are caught before shipment.
Send your design, size and quantity — factory quote back within 24 hours. Reference: General enquiry